Maximum Machine
by Alucardh
Summary: Two teenagers must leave their home, to discover the truths about the 40th Millenium.  Their survival depends on their ability to use their expanding knowledges...and their ability to work together.
1. The Beginnings

Chapter 1: The Beginnings

"Pay attention, class." My friend Mark groaned.

"Why did we take this? I would have been happy with basic Imperial trade. But no, we had to take warp engineering instead."

"If you hadn't been so desperate to be in the same room as Jenna, we wouldn't be here. Stop complaining- it's equation time."

My friend Mark and I have been friends for as long as I can remember. We probably were born in adjacent rooms, and we spent our childhood together. We broke toys, listened to music, and even prayed together. We shared taste in food, hobbies (though I never did understand his thing about blood ball), and usually girls. Jenna was an exception- she was such an airhead I never understood how Mark ever got interested in her. His mother died when he was young, and so now he lives in my dad and my apartment, since my mother died just a few years ago. Their combined income keeps the four of us in good living conditions, so everyone is happy. It's a pretty small space, since we bought it for three when two could sleep in the same bed and one required minimal space, but we cope. My dad is an accountant for the Inquisition, with level seven clearance. Mark's dad is a tactician for the Imperial Guard, with level six clearance. The disparity with the levels is a running joke between us, as well as that his dad makes more than mine does.

"Jeremy, do you know the answer or not?" I started and glanced around the classroom, only to find that the question was indeed directed at me.

"Pardon, sir, what was the question?" I winced as Professor Stone's face turned a bright red, and he started walk towards me. And that was just the beginning. Two hours later, the class finally ended, old Stone having finally come to the conclusion that throwing more equations at us was no longer an effective teaching method. Mark and I were on the way to the caf, where we could pick up snacks, when we heard it. _Thump thump…thump thump_.

"This school gets more confusing every day" grumbled Mark, shaking his head in frustration. I glanced over at the wall from where the sound was emanating, but there was no distinguishing factor. I just shook my head.

"Probably nothing. This school is falling apart- we're not exactly paying much for this."

"It's not even worth the pennies we give it. But really though, this sound is weird." Mark was right- this was weird. We'd been going here for ten years now- I thought I had an encyclopedic knowledge of the noises this school produced. "We should get out of here. This isn't right."

"Aww…scared like a little kid. Bet you wish your dad was here, he could call the tech priests to have them fix this. Oh wait, no he can't. Only my dad has that level clearance." I laughed and walked over to the wall, punching it lightly. _Thump thump…thump thump_. The rhythmic pounding didn't miss a beat. I looked over at Mark; he was shivering in his combat boots. "Man, it's not that scary. That brainless Guardsman your dad had over for dinner the other night was more intimidating than this."

"It's not that bro. Have you noticed that no one is passing through this hallway? There's always someone going to get chow during passing periods…but there's been no one here this whole time." Mark shook his head and glanced around suspiciously, as if he expected some horror to leap out of thin air.

"Relax, man. There's a constant Guardsmen watch around this school, in case you forgot. Nothing's getting in or out. But you are right about one thing- there should be more people in here. That must mean everyone's in the caf already, probably having a party or a food fight. And we're missing out. That is a problem worth attending to. Let's go." Mark shook his head, clearly still worried about everything, but he followed as I walked down the hallway. Unfortunately, neither of us turned around, or we might have gone down that hallway a little faster.


	2. Friend, Foe, or Food

Chapter 2: Friend, Foe, or Food

As we neared the door to the caf, I could feel Mark's tension rising. Whatever he was expecting to see, it was neither a food fight nor a party. That was much weirder to me than any sound- Mark was the least frightening person you ever met, but he was also one of the hardest to scare. Nothing fazed Mark; before he had come to my place he had had to spend a lot of time with his dad at work. He had seen emissaries of all different aliens; he'd even seen a couple of daemons. All the kids here envied Mark's experiences. I'd seen his face glow and his eyes light up as he told stories he heard from his dad's soldiers; tales of glory, conquest, and usually a lot of bloodshed. He never looked worried. That meant that something was wrong now. Really wrong- so out of place it was unnerving even him. I'm not boasting for him- I'm trying to explain that if Mark was concerned, the end of the world wouldn't surprise me.

I'm not going to lie, I was starting to get a bit tense too. Mark and I have always had a close connection. When Mark started getting worried, I was never too far behind. As you can imagine, there was just a little pressure in the air when I opened the door. The door swung open smoothly, and we walked in. I blinked in surprised. "Err…what?"

"I told you, bro. There are always people in here. Always- without exception. You can't have 500 teenagers in a passing period without some of them getting hungry." He was right too. This was no longer just weird, just that little twinge of "What" that you get when something's not quite how you expect it to be. This was the scary weird, that feeling someone's watching you when you're in a really old mansion with all the lights out at midnight. The feeling someone's going to reach out from that antique mirror and strangle you and they'll find you the next morning dead on the floor. The caf has people. It's like a rule. There was food laid out, just as always- the synthesizers were operating as normal, making sure the shelves and hot plates were stocked with the correct quantities and types of food. But there were no people happily munching, no cheerful gossipers talking about the latest break up or anxious nerds going over their answers on the last test, all over a cup of hot caffeine and a plate of biscuits. We entered slowly, passing tables and benches until we reached the center of the room. There we stood, me standing in a bemused daze. Mark, on the other hand, had a look of minor panic in his eyes, and his hands were wringing together as his eyes searched frantically for any sign that this was a practical joke. Finally, I summoned the presence of mind to talk.

"I'm sure there's a perfectly good explanation for all this. It's a practical joke, some old Stone coordinated to get even at us for those paper airplanes during passing period last week. Or maybe its Dominus the ancient (our math and tactics teacher) getting some revenge for when we organized the strike."

"I hope you're right, Jeremy. I hope this is just a practical joke. With all my heard I wish nothing more than that you're right. Because if not, we're in a great deal of trouble, and I don't mean the head master kind." I glanced over at him, and now I was really starting to get worried. His face was as pale as a servitor, and his hands were shaking too much even to get much of a good wring in. He kept turning around, still glancing around as if in hopes he would finally catch the telltale signs of a practical joke. I think we both jumped ten feet in the air when we heard it. _Thump thump…thump thump_. "Emperor's ear!" Mark swore angrily and started running towards the door. I chased after him, nearly tripping over my own feet and having to high jump over a bunch of tables.


	3. Robotic Skeletons in the Closet

Chapter 3: Robotic Skeletons in the Closet

We hit that hallway running like hell was behind us, which for Mark's reaction it might well be. We hurtled down the corridors that I knew so well, finally climbing three flights of stairs to arrive at the top of the building. Mark grabbed his wrist comm and before I knew it he was calling someone. His dad's voice picked up a couple of seconds later, "I thought I told you not to disturb me at work unless it's an emergency, son." His dad is a nice guy- he really is. He just takes his work really seriously. I almost laughed out loud at the thought of my dad saying something like that. He had to be the most easy going parent ever, though my being a child genius helped with that. Oh- did I forget to mention. Mark is the brawn of the outfit, I'm generally the brains. Mark chases the ladies sometimes, but I stick to my numbers. It made the warp engineering class ironic actually- I had been trying to come up with a good way to convince Mark to take that class for a month, when all of a sudden Jenna Atrium joins it. Mark suddenly has to be in that class, so I happily sign up. Now I was finding the class to a slightly over easy class, while Mark determined stayed at the middle of the class with my help. Anyways, back to Mark's conversation.

"Yeah, I know Dad. I wouldn't call unless I had to. It's just- something's going on here. Something really weird, and I think you might be able to help us."

"Alright, alright" his dad grumbled. But I could tell he sounded pleased- usually I could solve any technical difficulties we had, my dad was the one who came to school when we got into trouble, and Mark scared off any bullies that considered me, who am slightly on the scrawny side, a potential victim. I think he had developed a minor inferiority complex around us, since often times I think he felt useless. Not really his fault- his particular skill set just wasn't really domestic.

"Listen, here's the problem: all the kids seem to have vanished. I haven't seen anyone since we entered the East Corridor near the caf. Also, there's been a weird thumping sound. It was in the hallway when we were in there, then when we entered into the caf it started going off there a few minutes later."

"That is weird. I'll check with the tech priest, see if there've been any unusual readings in your area." I heard him stomping off- he was a big fellow, it was obvious where Mark's size came from. A couple minutes he came back. "It's interesting. There have been some strange power surges in your area lately. Seemingly random, but they are starting to form an odd shape around your school. Hang on a minute- I'll send someone over to pick you guys up. Are you all caught up in your classes." Feeling the need to get a word in, I responded

"Yes, sir. The only class we're not at least two weeks ahead in is Octalis history, and that's because the professor jumps around a lot, and won't tell anyone where he is going next."

"Sounds good. There are some men in an air transport near you heading this way. I'll—"_ Thump thump…thump thump_. Mark yelled "Dad. Dad! Dad!". Nearby a lamp exploded, making both of us jump. Mark and I spun around, but there was no apparent cause. Then another lamp exploded; then a nearby fuse starting sparking. The building started shaking. Mark turned to look at me, a terrified look on his face. "Jeremy, get down!"


	4. Say What

Chapter 4: Say What?

I got down. Fast. Faster than I expected to be able to, but I guess that's adrenaline for you. I was on my belly so fast I swear I could feel the friction between the air and my clothes. Mark was already rolling forward, heading for the edge of the building. I followed on hands and knees, wearing my skin down to nothing as I scrambled in the mad dash. He got there a few seconds before me, and crouched, his palms up and ready to strike out at any convenient target. I made sure I kept myself clear of his line of fire- I had seen him like this a couple of times before, and friendly fire was a definite concern. I came up ready, searching for the obstacle I assumed must be there and ready to be hit. Except there was nothing to attack. The top of the building, apart from shattered glass, was devoid of anything unusual. I blinked in surprised again. This had to be a new record; I was usually ready for everything. I turned to Mark, "What are you doing, bro? Nothing is happening up here. A couple of lamps blew out, sure. But you don't have to go into combat mode about it, and you sure as the Emperor don't need to start dragging me into this. Why don't you just tell me what you're so worried about?" Not going to pretend otherwise- I was furious. This whole experience had me tense, and now this lack of explanation was causing my analytical, cause and effect oriented mind to go into rage mode.

Without a word, he pointed behind me. Rolling my eyes as obviously as I could, I slowly turned…only to have my job drop. Now speechless, I just shook my head and closed my eyes as if I could make everything go away. There were scorch marks on the ground –marks my photographic memory couldn't help but recognize. Those were the residue of a doom-bolt, an especially nasty and lethal weapon of the Chaos Sorcerer because he could send them through the warp. I just couldn't believe it- Chaos on New Mark. But Mark was right to be concerned; we had to get out of here.

At this point I think an explanation of what we wear might be in place. Because Mark's dad works for Imperial Guard, we both got Guard surplus clothing on a discount. Mark wore pretty standard stuff: a plain t-shirt under a green coat, with dark green pants and combat boots. With his broad shoulders and height, it wouldn't be the first someone thought he was a Guardsman, or when he wore the fake stars my dad got him a few years ago, a Sergeant. I wore the same clothes except all dead black, with the exception of a green belt and green combat boots. My dad had given me a black trench coat the year he gave Mark the stars. Mark's dad said it was from the Inquisitorial department, but he didn't know what rank. As my dad was fond of saying, wherever we walked criminals hid in the shadows. Anyways, now that you understand that, it wasn't quite as weird that Chaos was attacking us. We may have not appeared just students, but as Imperial civil servants, which might have merited the attack. At that moment, the Imperial air transport arrived, and they boarded.


	5. Take that Back

Chapter 5: Take that Back

We arrived at the base amid the usual mixture of confusion and discipline. I was always amazed at how, despite all the yelling and whining of the Guardsmen, and the roars and derisive remarks of the Sergeants, the Imperial Guard base remained efficient. Mark's dad was a large part of that- he had a weird combination of PTSD and OCD that would up with him going into a horrible mood whenever he found a disorganized fight. Making Mark's dad angry was a bad idea that most people avoided at all costs- he tended to break both things and people. Mark and I knew the way to his office, of course, but we tended to dally a bit on the way there. We had some friends there, Lieutenants Daley and Carse, and Sergeant Smith. They always hung out in the rally room, where they split their time between giving motivation speeches and organizing new recruits. The three had served together in fifty years of combat, and now had retired to this base because the Commander was more lenient than most.

As usual, Daley and Smith, both muscle men, started enthusing with Mark about the latest theories in conditioning, while Carse and I discussed the math and science I was studying. Though less than me, Carse was a genius, and I think sometimes he learned the newest developments through me. This Guard station had a peculiar obsession with the Machine Spirit, and so he had to be careful in what he asked about to avoid treading the line of heresy. I told him about our warp engineering class, and we discussed an idea I had for increasing engine efficiency in high speed transports. Mark's wrist comm beeped, and his dad's irate voice came over, telling us to report to him immediately or suffer horrible and unimaginable consequences. "Coming right over sir, double step and pronto sir. Will report sooner than immediately sir," replied Mark before cutting the connection. Daley doubled over laughing, and Smith just shook his head in amusement. Carse and I rolled our eyes, and I walked out with Mark, leaving Carse watching wistfully after me as Smith and Daley engaged in a arm wrestle. We got to Mark's dad without any more distractions, and hung out there for a while. Mark had to explain to his dad about the lack of people, the thumping sound, and the doombolts. Mark's dad confirmed that the thumping was the sound of a warp portal- which made more questions than it answered. The first of course being why a portal had been opened, the second being why had it opened in a school, and the third, and oddest, being why we had not been pulled in. Then red strobe light went off on the ceiling and the alarm went off. Mark's dad commed the primary command office, but got nothing but static. "Some bastard is interfering with Imperial communications. Idiot's going to pay when I get to him."

Mark tried to soothe his dad, "Relax dad, it's probably just some stupid Guardsmen pulling a prank they think is funny. Maybe they've dug out the latrines too many times or something."

"You think this is funny? Mark? Jeremy? No, I didn't think so. This is total chaos- too many people running and confused and disorderly. I won't stand for this kind of idiocy. Come on- we're going to Command center." Moments later, Mark and I were running full-tilt after his dad, dodging Guardsmen and recruits as we raced across the base. It took us ten minutes, but we got there. I collapsed into a chair in the waiting room, my chest heaving, while Mark leaned against the door threshold. Without even a moment's hesitation, Mark's dad barged straight through and knocked the Commander's door off its hinges. A huge explosion was the only response, literally picking Mark's dad (who was a well-built and solid man to say the least) off his feet and slamming him into the wall behind us. Mark and I cowered behind a bench, and watched to see what would follow.


	6. Outside the Comfort Zone

Chapter 6: Outside the Comfort Zone

Mark ran to his father's side, while I vaulted over some furniture Mark's dad's trip through the air had wrecked, in order to get to the door. I glanced inside, to see that the Commander was dead with a six-point star covered on his face. Chaos- that much was obvious. I looked over and saw to my relief that Mark's dad was on his face, looking none the worse for the fall. I walked over to them, only to see the back up finally arriving. A lieutenant was arriving with his squad of 20, all veterans from the look. The odd thing was, though, that none of them had facial expression except for the lieutenant. He was smiling, a bit too happy considering the plume of smoke that should have just risen above the building. I rarely met someone who enjoyed it when their commanding officer, especially one as nice as this, got blown up. He hurried up to Mark's father. "Are you okay, sir? The whole camp's in an uproar. Some maniacs were running around screaming heresy until we shot them."

"You'd better show me the bodies. I need to check where they're from, and see if I can find out who sent them. Get on the main comm and call for a squad of Space Marines to eat these guys' brains and figure out anything." For the first time, I saw the man flinch a little.

"Sorry, sir. We were burning the bodies- kind of a triumphant gesture at how limited Chaos truly is. Besides, isn't a squad of Space Marines overkill? It's just a bunch of pathetic heretics."

"You burned the heretics. Before any investigation could be done. What did you think they were doing here, going on a recreational stroll? What's your name, Lieutenant?"

"My name is Odin Sloan, sir. Lieutenant Sloan."

"Sloan- I've heard that name before. Oh, that's ri—Mark, Jeremy, run!" I had never seen him so furious before. Sloan smiled,

"Not so fast, children. I have a job for you."

"I don't think so, traitor scum." Mark's scum pulled his power sword out of his belt, and Sloan countered by pulling from his own hilt what looked to be a daemon blade. "That won't do you much good. This blade has seen greater blades than that more than times than you've breathed, you pitiful scum." Mark's dad swung the blade so fast Sloan barely had time to put his own blade. The two dueled for a scant two minutes, the ex-Space Marine's blade moving so fast I was surprised the heretic could even see it. Then I remembered his perceptions were enhanced by the Immaterial Gods, in exchange for his humanity. I was about to ask Mark if there was anything we could do, when Sloan made a small mistake. Small mistakes are gaping large for the advanced abilities of the Adeptus Astartes, and Mark's dad made the heretic into a lump of dead meat so fast I had to duck to avoid the flying blood. With the heretic's influence gone, the Guardsmen shook their heads in confusion as they realized what was happening. What happened next made me slightly sick. Without even hesitating, Mark's dad whipped through them, decapitating each of them before they had a chance to react.


End file.
